[FEATURE] Add status bar to Desktop App

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1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/33257

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The existing CLI statusLine support already solves this problem surprisingly well.

I use claude-pace in the terminal specifically to keep context and quota awareness always visible, so the Desktop app falling back to a much thinner status display feels like a real capability gap rather than a separate UX choice.

If Desktop simply honored the same statusLine config, a lot of useful workflows would carry over immediately.

This is not the same issue as #33257.

This issue is about adding support to the statusline to the desktop app, which would be a welcome addition to enable the use of many CLI plugins which rely on it. Would definitely be useful!

+1 — Same applies to the VSCode extension. The statusLine config in settings.json works perfectly in the terminal CLI but is completely ignored in the VSCode panel.

Having cost, token count, time, and context % visible while working in VSCode would be very helpful. Just honoring the existing statusLine config would cover both Desktop and VSCode in one go.

+1 on this. Adding a use case that complements the rate-limit / context-usage angle: git branch and worktree visibility.

I work across multiple git worktrees simultaneously (one per in-flight PR) and frequently need to glance down and confirm which branch/worktree my current Claude Code session is in before committing, pushing, or running infra changes. My statusLine command already surfaces:

/Users/me/project [wkt:feature-xyz] (branch+!) model-name

— blue cwd, + for staged, ! for unstaged, worktree name when applicable — and it renders perfectly in the Claude Code CLI. It's silently ignored by the desktop app.

Honoring statusLine in the desktop app would cover at least three distinct pain points with a single change:

1. Current git branch (critical for multi-worktree workflows)
2. Rate-limit / context usage (per the OP)
3. Any custom script users want — Max plan timers, k8s context, cloud-env pinning, etc.

The statusLine config shape is already documented and stable. Desktop parity here is pure upside — no new API, no new settings key, just "don't silently drop the output."

+1 on this, I'd really like to be able to display my custom statusline in the Desktop app, this is really the only thing preventing my from completely switching over to the Desktop app at this point.

+1 our team use a custom status line to determine updates of template files for bootstrapping Claude files across many repos.

+1 - For me this is the only important drawback of claude desktop vs terminal.

+1 on this for me too. status bar is a key part of my workflow.

+1, with a concrete use case

I run the desktop app with one git worktree per PR. What makes worktree/branch identity safety-critical for me: the desktop's built-in footer drops the worktree name as soon as a PR badge appears for that branch — so exactly when a worktree has an open PR (the moment I'm most likely to commit or push to the wrong one), its name is no longer visible.

I already have a working CLI statusLine that always shows worktree · branch · PR · context% · 5h/7d quota, and it renders perfectly in the terminal — but the desktop GUI ignores it entirely. Having the desktop honor the existing statusLine config (render its output as a persistent bottom bar, same as the CLI) would fix this with no new API surface.

If a full statusLine port is too much, even just keeping the worktree name pinned alongside the PR badge in the existing footer would solve the immediate safety issue.

Seconding the asks above - thierry-bitstack and MystroDave already covered my exact 5h/7d + worktree case, so I won't repeat it.

One thing nobody's flagged yet: the color carries as much as the text. In my terminal statusLine I don't tint 5h/7d by the raw % - I tint by pace. How much of the window should be gone by now if I spent it evenly, vs how much I've actually burned. Red if I'm ahead, green if under. That's the ambient read I lose in the GUI - a bare number, or /usage on demand, won't tell me at a glance whether I'm on track to hit the wall before teh reset.

So whatever port happens, please carry the ANSI colors through, not just the plain string.

+1 — I've already invested in a custom statusLine script that gives me exactly the info I want at a glance. I'd love for the Desktop app to render that same status line so my setup carries over unchanged.

I wanted to add my own experience here since I think it underscores why this matters.

I've built a fairly extensive custom statusLine setup on the CLI side that I now rely on constantly — it's become something like a mission-control bar for my whole agentic workflow, not just for Claude Code itself. On top of the built-in context/cost info, I track:

• A gradient progress bar for context-window usage, so I can eyeball pressure at a glance without doing math
• Current git branch (I work across many repos/worktrees in parallel, so this alone prevents a lot of "wrong branch" mistakes)
• Rate-limit / reset countdowns for another CLI agent tool I run alongside Claude Code
• Live health badges for a couple of peer AI agent processes I coordinate with asynchronously, so I know instantly if a fallback path needs to kick in

This setup genuinely changed how I work day to day — at-a-glance visibility means I don't have to break flow to go check separate dashboards or terminals. The problem is: the moment I switch over to the Desktop App, all of that disappears, and I lose the situational awareness I've come to depend on. Since I move between CLI/VS Code and Desktop depending on the task, this creates a real, recurring gap for me.

+1 on honoring statusLine (or an equivalent) in the Desktop App. Even surfacing a subset of what the CLI supports would make a big difference for anyone who's invested time into a custom setup like this.